Chico Alliance Church
September 2, 2001
Pastor David Welch
“Saved from the Coming Wrath”
Romans 5:9
Review
In this letter Paul answers the question, “How can a sinful man be reconciled with a holy God? It also answers a similar question, “How can the offender escape the wrath of the offended.” God is both the offended party and the one called upon to judge the offender.
So far we have followed Paul’s argument up to chapter 5.
Paul introduced the theme in chapter one announcing not only the revelation of the means to becoming right before God but also the revelation of the righteous wrath of God upon all those who suppress the truth in ungodliness and unrighteousness.
Chapter 1-3 demonstrated that everyone is ungodly and unrighteous and destined for wrath.
The last section of chapter 3 announced the means of acquiring the necessary righteousness to not only escape Gods’ wrath but also become God’s very own son. Chapter four illustrates the core concepts of justification by faith through the example of Abraham and applies to all who have the same kind of faith as Abraham demonstrated. Beginning in chapter 5, Paul elaborated on some marvelous results of Justification
So far we have touched on three specific realities related to our justification.
Having been justified by faith in Christ…
Having been declared “not guilty” through the substitutionary sacrifice voluntarily offered by Christ.
Having had our moral account purged of our inadequate attempts to live according to the God-given standard and replaced with Christ’s perfect, eternal conformity with God’s standard...
Enjoy peace with God
First Paul urges us to thoroughly take pleasure in our newly acquired peace with God.
The war with God is over. God no longer considers us enemies but saints, friends, dearly loved children, citizens, soldiers, a cherished bride. Because Jesus paid the penalty for our violation of God’s law by suffering and dying on the cross, God is free to extend his love rather than his wrath to all those who will embrace His son.
Justification brings about an end to the war with God a peace, a new relationship.
Justification also brings a new hope for the future worth shouting about.
Exult in hope of reflecting the glory of God in the future.
Second, Paul urges us to enthusiastically verbalize our excitement about our future destiny. Every child of God will one day perfectly reflect the glorious nature of its heavenly father. We will personally experience and display the dazzling glory of the glory of God. We will perfectly represent holiness, perfection, truth, and light.
Exult in present tribulations that produce future character
Third, Paul whisks us back from a future glimpse of the end product to encourage a godly response to the present process. Spiritual growth and becoming more like Christ is such a glorious prospect that we may not only exult in the hope of the end product, but in the process as well.
The process
We exult in tribulations knowing that tribulations lead to endurance or perseverance and perseverance leads to prove character and proven character leads to greater hope or confidence and this confidence will never prove disappointing or cause us to be shamed because God has flooded our heart with His eternal, never ending love. God floods our heart with his love by the Holy Spirit who He sent into our heart at the moment we believed and were justified by that belief. It was a love not based on our goodness or merit or strength for while we were helpless, sinners, ungodly and enemies Christ died for us making justification, peace with God, hope of glory, and confidence in the work of God possible.
For the fun of it and for a slightly different perspective let’s follow the process backwards.
God has completely flooded our hearts with his love that instills confidence or hope that increases as we more and more respond to life like Jesus. That happens as we chose to response to difficulties by the power of Christ that realizing they are means to glory motivates exultation.
Now the fourth benefit stemming from justification.
Realize your redemption from the coming wrath
Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. Romans 5:9-10
Paul was most likely familiar with John’s quotations from Jesus.
"He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." John 3:36
"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. John 5:24
Here the argument follows a lesser to greater flow.
Paul opens another window to the future based on the past.
Having been justified at a point in time in the past we can expect continued benefit (much more) in the future, namely salvation from the revelation of God’s wrath upon sinners. The wrath of God no longer abides on those who believe in the Son because of His substitutionary death, but he will also enjoy eternal life because of his resurrected life.
Past justification guarantees future release from God’s wrath.
Present reconciliation guarantees future salvation.
This great salvation is much more than we ever deserved. It is much more than we should ever expect. It is much more than we could ever dream. Don’t miss the glory of this “much more” benefit. First Paul states it in the negative --- future salvation from. Second Paul elaborates on the positive side of our future salvation.
The word “salvation” is a rich broad term having to do with rescuing or saving from peril.
To save, deliver, make whole, preserve safe from danger, loss or destruction.
It had reference a variety of people and things…Curing from illness is another sense. Horses may save in battle, or night may save an army from destruction, good counsel may save ships, etc. Cities, castles, ships, etc. may be saved as well as people. At times protection may be the meaning.
So the word could have reference to saving, keeping, benefiting, preserving the inner being and saving from eternal destruction to eternal life.
“We shall be saved from THE WRATH through Him.”
Who shall be saved from the wrath? “Those having been justified by His blood.”
How are we justified? “By faith in Christ.” (See Rom 3:21-4:25)
Why are we justified? Because of Christ’s sacrifice which paid the penalty for our sin.
What are we saved from? The coming wrath!
In order to appreciate what God saves us from (passive verb) we must better perceive what it looks like. First we will touch on the term itself and then look at its application to God and finally as it is specifically to be applied in the future.
The word used here is one of two basic New Testament terms.
One is “orge” (the word used here). The other is “thumos”
Although both are sometimes used interchangeably and translated anger or wrath, one leans toward a deep settled slow rising reasoned emotional response to evil (righteous indication) whereas the other indicates a more instant, flash reaction (see red, outburst of anger) to real or perceived evil. Although not always the case, “orge” is translated “wrath” and “thumos” “anger”.
Wrath is a reasoned emotional response to a real or perceived evil. It is always a righteous response of God to a perfect perception of evil or injustice. In man it can be distorted by limited perception of the actual situation and a distorted perspective on what is genuinely evil.
I can be angry or feel wrath toward someone because they didn’t acknowledge my presence whether or not it was true. We did a whole series on anger in the past where notes are still available.
When man commits evil in the eyes of God, God feels wrath toward that evil act. That emotion compels God to then act in response to that evil in such a way as to retard the spread of evil and bring about divine justice. We need to praise God for this attribute, for without it, evil would eventually destroy all of creation. It is God’s wrath that compels Him to deal with evil. It is only because of an inadequate view of evil that we fail to appreciate this most crucial aspect of God’s character. People rail against the Biblical examples of His judgment because they fail to perceive the destructiveness of man’s wickedness and the necessity to execute justice. If we could only catch a glimpse of the reality of God’s wrath against sin we would not question why it seems so dark but that God would grant any light at all. We have a long way to go to understand evil as God does and it stirs within us a comparable response as it does in God. Yes we embrace the fact that He is a God of love and has poured out his love in our hearts. I would suppose that wrath is actually a response of love against the behavior that continually destroys lives. It is only because of God’s wrath compelling him to execute His righteous judgment that we have hope of a glorious heaven. If there were no final demonstration of the wrath of God upon wickedness and execution of absolute justice, history would continue its heart-wrenching evil and worse.
The Old Testament records numerous examples of God’s righteous response to evil. It is always a response that seeks to stem the tide of evil among His creation. The Genesis flood was an action fueled by God’s wrath toward the evil that saturated every man’s heart continually. The destruction of the disease and demon-ridden inhabitants of Cannan was an act of mercy upon the human race as well as Israel.
We wince at God’s wrath against his priest Uzzah.
And the anger of the LORD burned against Uzzah, and God struck him down there for his irreverence; and he died there by the ark of God. 2 Samuel 6:7
We react to God’s willingness to kill Moses for failing to circumcise his son as instructed.
God’s wrath vented toward the disobedience of Israel
"Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, ’Because all of you have become dross, therefore, behold, I am going to gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. ’As they gather silver and bronze and iron and lead and tin into the furnace to blow fire on it in order to melt it, so I will gather you in My anger and in My wrath and I will lay you there and melt you. ’I will gather you and blow on you with the fire of My wrath, and you will be melted in the midst of it. ’As silver is melted in the furnace, so you will be melted in the midst of it; and you will know that I, the LORD, have poured out My wrath on you.’ " Ezekiel 22:19-22
God’s wrath vented toward those who mistreated Israel.
A jealous and avenging God is the LORD; The LORD is avenging and wrathful.
The LORD takes vengeance on His adversaries, And He reserves wrath for His enemies.
The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, And the LORD will by no means leave the guilty unpunished.
In whirlwind and storm is His way, And clouds are the dust beneath His feet.
He rebukes the sea and makes it dry; He dries up all the rivers.
Bashan and Carmel wither; The blossoms of Lebanon wither.
Mountains quake because of Him and the hills dissolve;
Indeed the earth is upheaved by His presence, the world and all the inhabitants in it.
Who can stand before His indignation? Who can endure the burning of His anger?
His wrath is poured out like fire and the rocks are broken up by Him. Nahum 1:2-6
God’s feelings of wrath have not always manifested in calamity. We already encountered a surprising response in Romans 2
And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? Romans 2:2-4
God desires repentance. He will do whatever it takes to lead men to repent. If they don’t repent there must be, because of the holiness of God, retribution. Every man can choose between repentance or retribution. Because if they continue to refuse repentance God’s wrath will dictate a different response.
But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who WILL RENDER TO EACH PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS: to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God. Romans 2:5-11
We all started our on God’s bad side. We were born children under wrath.
Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. Ephes. 2:3
God has expressed His wrath through calamity throughout the history of disobedience and rebellion. There is coming a period of final expression of God’s wrath and subsequent judgment against all ungodliness. It is a day no one will want to experience.
John the Baptist confronted the Pharisees.
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Matthew 3:7
Paul reminded the Colossians of some things that will trigger the coming wrath.
Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. Col. 3:5-7
It is the final outpouring of God’s wrath on all evil found in angels and humans alike that will eliminate its strangle hold for all eternity and usher in a new heavens and new earth.
"All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. "Then the King will say to those on His right, ’Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Matthew 25:32-34
"Then He will also say to those on His left, ’Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels…"These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." Mat 25:41,46
What will THE Coming WRATH look like?
There will come a time when the wickedness of the human race will reach a point where God can no longer stand by. Those who have been martyred will cry out for justice.
When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" Rev. 6:9-10
It will come. Jesus shared an end-times glimpse with John who recorded what he saw in Revelation. The Lamb takes the scroll and reveals the judgment by breaking the first of seven seals.
Seven Seals
1st Seal – White horse with a conquering warrior
2nd Seal – Red horse remove peace on the earth increase in crime and killing.
3rd Seal – Black horse hyperinflation in the world commerce scarcity of food
4th Seal – Ashen horse = death for a forth of the earth by sword and famine and pestilence.
5th Seal – Cry of the martyrs for justice
6th Seal – Devastating earthquakes and no wind
7th Seal – Silence in heaven and the introduction to the seven trumpets
Seven Trumpets
1st Trumpet – Hail and fire to burn up a third of the vegetation
2nd Trumpet – Destruction of a third of the sea life and ships
3rd Trumpet -- Destruction of a third of the fresh water
4th Trumpet – One third of the sun’s light darkened
5th Trumpet – Release a horde of demonic tormentors form the bottomless pit - 5 months
6th Trumpet – Release of four death angels who kill another third of mankind
7th Trumpet – Return of the earth under the reign of Christ
Seven Bowl Judgments
1st Bowl – Loathsome and malignant sores
2nd Bowl – Sea turned to blood and death of sea life
3rd Bowl – Pollution of fresh water
4th Bowl – Fierce heat from the sun
5th Bowl – Darkness, pain, sores
6th Bowl – Dried up the Euphrates River
7th Bowl – Lightning and thunder and great earthquake and destruction of Babylon, 100 pound hailstones.
The full expression of God’s wrath (Often the number seven implies completion) is done.
There is celebration in heaven over the destruction of Babylon. Babylon symbolizing the culmination of self-centered godless materialism.
"To the degree that she glorified herself and lived sensuously, to the same degree give her torment and mourning; for she says in her heart, ’I SIT as A QUEEN AND I AM NOT A WIDOW, and will never see mourning.’ "For this reason in one day her plagues will come, pestilence and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for the Lord God who judges her is strong.
After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying,
"Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God; BECAUSE HIS JUDGMENTS ARE TRUE AND RIGHTEOUS; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and HE HAS AVENGED THE BLOOD OF HIS BOND-SERVANTS ON HER." And a second time they said, "Hallelujah! HER SMOKE RISES UP FOREVER AND EVER." And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne saying, "Amen. Hallelujah!" And a voice came from the throne, saying,
"Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great." Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying,
"Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. Rev. 18:1-19:6
You say, “Well I may not be around to face that day.” “Most likely I will already be dead.”
The end of God’s day or period of wrath extends to fallen angels and people of all time.
And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. Rev. 20:7-15
No one will face the wrath of God but those who have chosen to do so. As God called Israel to choose life or death, you also have a choice today.
"I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them." Deut. 30:19-20
What is standing in your way?
"If your eye causes you to stumble, throw it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than, having two eyes, to be cast into hell, where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED. Mark 9:47-48
There is no escape from God’s righteous judgment of sin. The choice is yours today.
What about those who have chosen to embrace Jesus?
Paul emphatically states that those who have been justified by his blood will be saved from the wrath THROUGH Him? Hallelujah!! Jesus became the propitiation for our sin. This is the truth that Jesus, by His willing sacrifice, diverted the wrath of God from us to Him. Jesus bore the full cup of God’s wrath for all the sin of the entire world. God at that moment saw the sin of the entire world as if it had been committed by Jesus and turned away in wrath.
For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come. 1 Thes. 1:9-10
For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing. 1 Thes. 5:7-11
"He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." John 3:36
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.
Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.
Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, 2 Peter 3:10-14
What should I do TODAY?
• Repent of your sin
• Rejoice in your salvation
• Recommit to a life of godly living
